Might this be the new form of educational software? I think this site, released for "public beta" on January 15, 2008, marks an important evolution in the children's IM space for two reasons:
1. It is richer than existing web based children's content, with more record keeping features and depth to the games. While it is all flash based, there's more continuity to the games and I think parents are looking for (and may be willing to pay) for this stuff.
2. It is subscription based. No disks.
But here's the $100 question. Will parents be willing to pay?
Here's a draft of my writeup -
Designed specifically for preschoolers, the subscription-only site combines games and creativity experiences with streaming video of past PBS content. There are no chat or social gaming features. After your account is setup and you agree to pay the $5/month, or $100 a year fee, as many as four children can access their individual accounts by clicking their icon. No reading is required. PBS is planning to continually update the games that feature Curious George and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
There's a mix of both open-ended creativity games and structured activities designed to support school content, and a parent control panel lets you adjust the levels, see how children are doing, or set a timer to limit play time. One of the more interesting features is the ability to watch past episodes of PBS Kids shows, in Flash 9 format. See also www.pbskids.com, for a collection of free flash-based games.
FACT SHEET (from publisher)
Introducing PBS KIDS PLAY!
In 2008, PBS will release PBS KIDS PLAY!SM, a new computer-based subscription service providing interactive, educational games and activities for families with children ages 3 to 6. The service offers a fun, safe online environment that is designed to address educational standards and benchmarks for preschool and kindergarten education. PBS KIDS PLAY! will include games and activities that cover skill areas including Math, Science, Language, Literacy, Creativity, Healthy Development, and Social Studies, among others.
PBS KIDS PLAY! is a place where children can play with favorite PBS KIDS characters and receive an interactive learning experience tailored just for them. The service adapts to each child’s skills and abilities by tracking progress and recommending games and activities at the appropriate level, based on the child’s past performance. Parents and caregivers can track each child’s learning progress, as he or she advances.
PBS KIDS PLAY! Key Features
PBS KIDS PLAY! includes a variety of features for both kids and parents.
Features for Children:
o Popular Characters: Favorite PBS KIDS characters from programs including CURIOUS GEORGE, SUPER WHY, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and The Berenstain Bears guide and help children learn. New programs will continuously be added to the service, including Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends, among others.
o New Games: All-new, original learning games and activities not available anywhere else!
o Self-Leveling: The learning games and activities adjust in difficulty based on each individual child’s tracked progress. The service adapts to each child’s unique developmental stage, which may not correspond with the child’s age.
o Rewards: Upon completing each game learning objective, kids receive a collectible item.
o Saving: Kids can save interactive projects and continue with them later.
o Favorites: Kids can easily bookmark favorite activities with a single click.
o Exploration: Kids can explore colorful, inviting environments recreated from favorite TV programs.
o Text-Free Navigation: Pre-readers can navigate PBS KIDS PLAY! independently.
o Customization: Kids can customize the look and feel of their Home Room, Play Room, and TV Room. They also can choose special decorations for national holidays and seasons.
o TV Any Time: Dozens of full TV episodes available at broadband streaming quality 24x7. All video is 100% program content – no promotional clips – and 100% ad-free.
o Always Something New: New content added every week!
Features for Parents:
o Educational Value: Games and activities help build essential skills in Math, Science, Language, Literacy, Creativity, Healthy Development, and Social Studies. Each activity has been developed specifically to address a nationally recognized McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) standard and to sequence by developmental stage, in accordance with PBS’ own Childhood Development Tracker (compiled by leading childhood development experts).
o See the Results: Progress Charts track each child’s learning progress with both an overview, which shows progress across the entire curriculum, and a detailed view, which provides personalized guidance on activities recommended specifically for each child.
o Recommendations Engine: In addition to providing recommendations to parents, PBS KIDS PLAY! also uses characters to recommend educational content to kids that is right just for them. This is often met with less resistance than if parents try to recommend content.
o Search by Skill: Includes a search engine for locating activities by skill or keyword.
o Safe and Secure: PBS KIDS PLAY! is a password-protected desktop environment with no ads or product placement. PBS also has a strict zero-spam privacy policy.
o Limit Screen Time: Parents can set a timer to limit the amount of time their child spends on PBS KIDS PLAY!. This feature allows parents to easily supervise their child’s media experience.
o Customer Support: Round-the-clock toll-free phone and email support.
System Requirements
PBS KIDS PLAY! requires the following specifications (subject to change based on Beta test results):
o A broadband Internet connection.
o Windows XP or Vista.
o Any dual-core CPU or a 2.4-GHz Pentium IV or higher.
o 512 MB RAM or higher, with 64 MB video card RAM recommended.
o Any monitor capable of 1024x768 screen resolution. PLAY! runs in full-screen mode and adjusts the computer’s display, similar to a CD-ROM product.
o Adobe Flash 9, which is automatically installed with PLAY!, if not already installed.
Might this be the new form of educational software? I think this site, released for "public beta" on January 15, 2008, marks an important evolution in the children's IM space for two reasons:
1. It is richer than existing web based children's content, with more record keeping features and depth to the games. While it is all flash based, there's more continuity to the games and I think parents are looking for (and may be willing to pay) for this stuff.
2. It is subscription based. No disks.
But here's the $100 question. Will parents be willing to pay?
Here's a draft of my writeup -
Designed specifically for preschoolers, the subscription-only site combines games and creativity experiences with streaming video of past PBS content. There are no chat or social gaming features. After your account is setup and you agree to pay the $5/month, or $100 a year fee, as many as four children can access their individual accounts by clicking their icon. No reading is required. PBS is planning to continually update the games that feature Curious George and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
There's a mix of both open-ended creativity games and structured activities designed to support school content, and a parent control panel lets you adjust the levels, see how children are doing, or set a timer to limit play time. One of the more interesting features is the ability to watch past episodes of PBS Kids shows, in Flash 9 format. See also www.pbskids.com, for a collection of free flash-based games.
FACT SHEET (from publisher)
Introducing PBS KIDS PLAY!
In 2008, PBS will release PBS KIDS PLAY!SM, a new computer-based subscription service providing interactive, educational games and activities for families with children ages 3 to 6. The service offers a fun, safe online environment that is designed to address educational standards and benchmarks for preschool and kindergarten education. PBS KIDS PLAY! will include games and activities that cover skill areas including Math, Science, Language, Literacy, Creativity, Healthy Development, and Social Studies, among others.
PBS KIDS PLAY! is a place where children can play with favorite PBS KIDS characters and receive an interactive learning experience tailored just for them. The service adapts to each child’s skills and abilities by tracking progress and recommending games and activities at the appropriate level, based on the child’s past performance. Parents and caregivers can track each child’s learning progress, as he or she advances.
PBS KIDS PLAY! Key Features
PBS KIDS PLAY! includes a variety of features for both kids and parents.
Features for Children:
o Popular Characters: Favorite PBS KIDS characters from programs including CURIOUS GEORGE, SUPER WHY, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and The Berenstain Bears guide and help children learn. New programs will continuously be added to the service, including Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends, among others.
o New Games: All-new, original learning games and activities not available anywhere else!
o Self-Leveling: The learning games and activities adjust in difficulty based on each individual child’s tracked progress. The service adapts to each child’s unique developmental stage, which may not correspond with the child’s age.
o Rewards: Upon completing each game learning objective, kids receive a collectible item.
o Saving: Kids can save interactive projects and continue with them later.
o Favorites: Kids can easily bookmark favorite activities with a single click.
o Exploration: Kids can explore colorful, inviting environments recreated from favorite TV programs.
o Text-Free Navigation: Pre-readers can navigate PBS KIDS PLAY! independently.
o Customization: Kids can customize the look and feel of their Home Room, Play Room, and TV Room. They also can choose special decorations for national holidays and seasons.
o TV Any Time: Dozens of full TV episodes available at broadband streaming quality 24x7. All video is 100% program content – no promotional clips – and 100% ad-free.
o Always Something New: New content added every week!
Features for Parents:
o Educational Value: Games and activities help build essential skills in Math, Science, Language, Literacy, Creativity, Healthy Development, and Social Studies. Each activity has been developed specifically to address a nationally recognized McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) standard and to sequence by developmental stage, in accordance with PBS’ own Childhood Development Tracker (compiled by leading childhood development experts).
o See the Results: Progress Charts track each child’s learning progress with both an overview, which shows progress across the entire curriculum, and a detailed view, which provides personalized guidance on activities recommended specifically for each child.
o Recommendations Engine: In addition to providing recommendations to parents, PBS KIDS PLAY! also uses characters to recommend educational content to kids that is right just for them. This is often met with less resistance than if parents try to recommend content.
o Search by Skill: Includes a search engine for locating activities by skill or keyword.
o Safe and Secure: PBS KIDS PLAY! is a password-protected desktop environment with no ads or product placement. PBS also has a strict zero-spam privacy policy.
o Limit Screen Time: Parents can set a timer to limit the amount of time their child spends on PBS KIDS PLAY!. This feature allows parents to easily supervise their child’s media experience.
o Customer Support: Round-the-clock toll-free phone and email support.
System Requirements
PBS KIDS PLAY! requires the following specifications (subject to change based on Beta test results):
o A broadband Internet connection.
o Windows XP or Vista.
o Any dual-core CPU or a 2.4-GHz Pentium IV or higher.
o 512 MB RAM or higher, with 64 MB video card RAM recommended.
o Any monitor capable of 1024x768 screen resolution. PLAY! runs in full-screen mode and adjusts the computer’s display, similar to a CD-ROM product.
o Adobe Flash 9, which is automatically installed with PLAY!, if not already installed.